The St. Joseph One Parish One Prisoner (OPOP) team, comprised of Margaret Johnson, Katie Loescher, Christina Perez, and Deacon Tom Hayward, has some promising updates regarding our incarcerated friend, James, and the possibility of his release and re-entry into our community.

​

For those of you who aren't familiar with the OPOP program or James, here is a summary:

​

The OPOP program, run by Underground Ministries in Mount Vernon, WA, connects churches with incarcerated individuals at least a year before they are released. The goal is to build relationships of trust and embrace between the incarcerated people and the communities they return to.

​

In December 2021, St. Joseph began its OPOP journey with James, who at the time was incarcerated at the Monroe Correctional Facility in Monroe, WA. Our OPOP team spent the next two years learning from and bonding with James in anticipation of his release from prison.

​

Due to the circumstances of the crime he committed, James was dually sentenced in Washington and Oregon. During the fall of 2022, James completed his Washington sentence and was then transferred to Oregon to serve the remainder of his sentence there. Since that time, his lawyer's team has been working on his application for a Petition for Reconsideration of Conviction and/or Sentence under Oregon Senate Bill 819.

​

James’s application was submitted in September 2024. It was reviewed by the local district attorney, and his attorney presented the application for consideration to the committee in October 2024. As the next step, the committee asked for James to undergo a psychological evaluation, which was conducted in May 2025. James passed with flying colors, and his attorney continued to work in collaboration with the local district attorney to make arrangements for his resentencing hearing.

​

Fast forward to today. James's resentencing hearing has been scheduled for December 23! All signs point to his immediate release at the conclusion of this hearing, where we anticipate his sentence will be revised and considered complete with time served. His family and support network are actively planning to help support James as he initially settles in Seattle. His release plan includes the Just Us Solutions team, who will provide initial housing and employment.

​

This has been a long time coming! James is optimistic, hopeful, and anxious. He continues to pray, work with his sponsor, and mentor his fellow incarcerated friends as he awaits his release. The fear of the unknown is strong, but his faith is stronger!

​

His OPOP family is rooting for him. As James rapidly approaches December 23rd and prepares for life outside of prison, we urgently ask for your continued prayers for his transition and re-entry into society. This is a complex and challenging shift, and we pray he finds peace, stability, and strength in his new life in Seattle.

​

Our OPOP family will be driving out to The Dalles, OR for the resentencing hearing to stand in solidarity with James. If it is God's will, James will be resentenced, released, and returned to his family and friends.

​

We are looking forward to introducing him to our parish family community and surrounding him with love and support. Stay tuned for another update in early 2026!